Switch for portable electric lamps



Dec, 23, 1924.

H. H. HIPWELL swITcH FOR PORTABLE ELECTRIC LAMPS Filed Aug. 13, 1923Patented Dec. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES HARRY H. I-IIPWELL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH FOR PORTABLE ELECTRIC LAMPS.

Application filed August 13, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY H. I-lirwnm., a citizen of the United States,and resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switches forPortable Electric Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to portable electric lamps of the type known asflashlights, and its object is to provide an improved switch for lampsof this character which shall include means for preventing the switchfrom being accidentally closed.

Ordinary portable flashlights are provided with switches attached to theoutside of the casing which encloses the battery, and these switches areusually arranged to close the electric circuit either by depressing themovable contact member when a temporary flash of light is desired, or bysliding the movable member into such position that the circuit is keptclosed after the movable contact member is released. l/Vhen a flashlightof this kind is carried in the pocket, in a traveling bag or in anautomobile pocket or the like, the movable switch member' is oftenaccidentally slid into the closed position, thereby wasting the energyof the battery.

According to my 1aresent' invention, I provide a switch for :flashlightswhich, like ordinary switches, may be closed either to produce atemporary flash or a more continuous light, and in which it isimpossible to slide the movable contact member into circuit-closingposition accidentally. The movable contact member is normally held insuch a position that, before closing the electric circuit, it isnecessary to draw back the movable contact member and then move themovable contact member toward the fixed contact member. By this means Iprevent useless illumination, and the movable switch member may be slidback and forth either intentionally or accidentally without closing thecircuit.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a full-sized side elevationalview of a cylindrical flashlight provided with a switch constructed inaccordance with mv invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinalsectional view through the switch and the adjacent portion of thebattery casing, the section being taken on the line 2 2, Fig. 1: Figs. 3and 4L are longitudinal sectional views simi- Serial No. 657,135.

lar to F ig. 2, showing other positions of the movable contact member,and F ig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the movable contactmember detached from the other parts of the switch.

In the drawing, the numeral 2 indicates the circular casing of aflashlight having an enlarged head 3 which encloses the usual lamp bulb,not shown, and which is provided with a screw cap L1 and with a lens 5.The end of the casing 2 opposite to the head 3 is closed by means of theusual screw cap G.

Secured to the outer surface 0f the casing 2 by means of eyelets 7, is aswitch casing 8 having a slot 9 formed lengthwise in its upper surface,through which extends the shank 10 of a switch button 11. The button 11is secured to a movable contact member 12 which, as best shown in Fig.5, consists of a bent piece of spring metal having a straight upperportion 13, and a` lower portion la having its forward end bent upslightly as shown at 15. The front end of the upper portion 13 isprovided with two slits which form a tongue 16 that is bent down,leaving two forwardly projecting ears 17.

lllithin the switch casing 8 is a fixed contact member 18 consisting ofan eyelet which extends through the wall of the casing 2 and secureswithin this casing the usual conducting strip 19 that leads to oneterminal of the lamp bulb. The other conducting strip 2() is connectedas usual to the casing 8 by means of one of the eyelets 7.

The switch casing S is provided with a transverse opening 21 which ismade by forming a slit in the flat upper surface of the casing 8 andbendingdown the metal adjacent to this slit to form a ledge 22 which,when the movable switch member 12 is slid forward without being firstdepressed, engages the ears 17 and prevents the movable contact memberfrom coming into contact with the fixed Contact member 18 either byfurther sliding movement or by depressing movement.

Fig. 2 shows the parts of the switch in their inactive position, withthe shank 10 of the button 11 at the rear of the slot 9. The down-turnedend portion 16 of the movable contact member 12 is directly above thecontact eyelet 1S, and the circuit may be completed through the lamp bydepressing the button 11 to the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2,where the members 1G and 1S llll are incontact. When the button 11 isreleased, the movable contact rises away from the fixed contact member18. This is the normal operation for producing temporary fiashes oflight after the movable contact has been released by drawing the button11 back to the rear of the slot 9.

Fig. shows the effect produced when the button 11 is moved forward inthe slot 9 without first depressing the button. As shown in this figure,the ears 17 of the movable Contact member are received by the transverseledge 22 of the casing, and the parts are so proportioned that when thisf takes place the lower member 14 of the movable contact member cannotcome into engagement with the eyelet 1S. The button 11 can now beneither depressed or moved forward but can only be moved back to theinactive position shown in Fig. 2. The switch is preferably moved tothis safety position before the flashlight is placed in a pocket,traveling bag or the like.

lVhen it is desired to bring the lower portion 14 of the movable contactmember into engagement with the eyelet 1S to produce a continuous beamof light, the button 11 is first drawn back to release the member 12from the ledge 22 and is then depressed to bring the ears 17 below thelevel of the ledge 22. The button 11 may then be slid to the front endof the slot 9, as shown in Fig. 4. This brings the switch members 14 and18 into engagement and completes the circuit through the lamp. Thecircuit remains closed until the button 11 is moved back in the slot 9to separate the contact members. As the button 11 approaches the rear ofthe slot 9, the ears 17 are released by the ledge 22 and the upper part13 of the contact member 12 snaps back into the position shown in Fig.2.

It will be noted that the switch herein shown is provided with thesafety feature described above without adding any parts to the switchand by employing only a single fixed' eyelet 18. It will also be seenthat the addition of the safety feature does not detract from theconvenience of using the switch, and that the engagement of the switchmembers for producing continuous light is improved by placing themovable Contact member under tension when it is brought to the positionshown in Fig. 4.

I have shown and described herein the details of construction which Inow prefer to employ, but it will be understood that varions changes maybe made without departing from my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switch for portable electric lamps comprising a casing, a fixedcontact member within said casing, a movable contact member having anoperating element extending through a slot in said casing, said movablecontact member comprising a strip of spring metal having one end portionadapted to slide into engagement with said fixed contact member andhaving means at its opposite end for engaging said fixed contact memberby direct inward movement, and means for engaging said movable contactmember when said movable contact member is advanced toward said fixedcontact member without preliminary inward movement, and for therebylocking said movable contact member against further advancing or inwardmovements and preventing engagement between said contact members.

2. A switch for portable electric lamps comprising a casing having aslot formed therein, a movable contact member Within said casing andcomprising an operating member extending through said slot and a stripof spring metal bent to form inner and outer arms, a fixed contactmember within said casing, the inner arm of said movable contact memberbeing adapted to engage said fixed contactmember by sliding movement,and said outer arm being adapted to engage said fixed contact member bydirect inward movement, and an obstruction carried by said casing andadapted to engage the outer arm of said movable Contact member andthereby prevent engagement of either of said arms with said fixedcontact member when said movable contact member is slid toward saidfixed contact member without first depressing said operating member.

8. A switch for portable electric lamps comprising a casing having anelongated slot and also having a second slot extending transversely tosaid first-named slot, a ledge or obstruction formed by depressing aportion of the casing adjacent to said secondnamed slot, a movablecontact member slidable within said casing and having an operatingelement extending through said firstnamed slot, and a fixed contactmember within said casing, said movable contact member having a portionada ted to engage said ledge when said movab e contact member is movedtoward said fixed contact member without first depressing said operatingelement.

4. A switch for portable electric lamps comprising a casing having aslot formed lengthwise therein and also having a tra-nsverse slot spacedfrom one end of said lengthwise slot, the said casing adjacent to saidtransverse slot being bent down on the side opposite to said lengthwiseslot to form an obstruction or ledge, a fixed contact member within saidcasing, a movable contact member slidable within said casing and havingan operating element extending through said lengthwise slot, saidmovable contact member being composed of a bent strip of spring metalhaving an inner arm adapted to move slidably into engagement'with saidfixed Contact member, and having an outer `arm formed With an nturnedend portion for engaging said fixed Contact member by direct inwardmovement, the outer arm of Said movable Contact member also havingforwardly-extending ears adapted to engage said ledge or obstructionwhen said movable Contact member is moved toward said IiXed Contactmember without iirst depressing said l0 operating element to bring theouter arm of Said movable Contact member beneath said ledge orobstruction.

In testimony whereof I, the said HARRY H. HIPWELL, have hereunto set myhand.

HARRY H. HIPWELL.

